Javon Brame – Central Denver

Javon was born and raised in Colorado and grew up in Northeast Denver (Park Hill).  He is ardent about advocating on behalf of others and being a conduit for the voices of constituencies, as well as seeking to disrupt traditional notions of philanthropy by giving his time, talent, treasure and testimony. He is the past board chair and grant chairman for Denver African American Philanthropists and served on the non-profit internship committee at the Denver Foundation. Most recently, Javon was appointed to serve as a founding advisory committee member for the Black Resilience in Colorado Fund (BRiC) at the Denver Foundation.

Zach Booz – Aurora

Like Chauncy Billups and Chipotle, Zach was born in Denver and has been proud to call Colorado home for most of his life. Zach has spent the bulk of his professional career working in youth development, education and facilitation. He’s worked with young people all over the world in and out of the classroom. He’s also heavily involved with The Chinook Fund, a local grassroots social justice fund. Outside of work, Zach enjoys reading or sleeping under a tree, snuggling his dog, watching TV, dancing in his kitchen, singing in his shower, cooking with his partner, backpacking with friends and/or soaking his body in hot springs.

Corey Mastroianni – Douglas County

Corey works as a school social worker at Morgridge Academy, a K-8 school for kids with chronic illnesses on the National Jewish Health hospital campus. She grew up in Colorado Springs, CO and stayed close to home for school white getting her Bachelor’s degree at CU Boulder and Master’s at University of Denver. She’s passionate about supporting communities through schools and empowering youth for positive change.

Amy Navaab – North Denver

Amy has been involved in youth leadership and facilitation work since she was a high school student. She has a Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan and over five years of experience as a restorative justice practitioner. She currently is a School Social Worker in Jefferson County Public Schools.

Aaron Earley – South Denver

Aaron earned his Masters of Social Work from the University of Denver while completing his practicum with YouthRoots in 2014. He is now a Program Specialist at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado and serves as the South YouthBoard Facilitator.

Karina Corral – Boulder, 15 Forever

Karina Corral was born and raised in Colorado into a family who supports the Raiders for some reason (Go Broncos). She graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with a degree in International Affairs. She is passionate about education, cultural studies, policy work, empowering youth, equity and the Great British Baking Show. She currently works as Manager of Community Engagement and Equity for YWCA Boulder County.

Sean Kloppenburg – Hemera Beacons

Sean Kloppenburg is a Program Associate at Hemera Foundation with experience in education, mindfulness, and philanthropy. Working in the philanthropic sector since 2017, he also taught Social Studies, Health, and personal finance at the High School level. He is a Naropa University certified meditation instructor and has an M.A. in Contemplative Education.

Ann Kolbrek – Sioux Falls, Youth Advisory Council

Ann is the facilitator for the Youth Advisory Council of the Sioux Falls Area Community Foundation which uses the YouthRoots program to empower youth to make a difference! She was in YAC with our founder when the idea of YouthRoots was planted.

Angela Adams – SCYC Youth Leadership Council

Brianna Apodaca – Pueblo Youth Action Council

Brianna is a proud Colorado Native, born and raised in the San Luis Valley. She has been passionate about empowering youth since she was in high school. She received her undergraduate degree from Colorado College in Anthropology. She is a 2018 Teach for America Corps Member and recently completed her Masters degree in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Colorado-Denver. She enjoys working with youth to build their leadership skills and become activists in their community. She believes that students should have a voice and have the ability to impact and change the world around us. She currently serves as an Exceptional Student Services Generalist teacher in Pueblo at Pueblo Academy of Arts.

Melissa Heston, Yellow Springs Youth Action Board

Melissa has more than 40 years’ experience as a competitive athlete, fitness professional, and dance/theatre artist. She holds a BFA and MFA in Dance and has worked with several nonprofits, universities, and schools in the US in a variety of positions. A “jack of all trades,” she has nimbly shifted from providing food to the food insecure during the pandemic, to ushering the Yellow Springs Schools through the Youth Action Board, scholarship and grant processes, to overseeing the Foundation’s social media presence, all while maintaining her full-time job as owner of a personal training company. During her free time, Melissa enjoys partaking in outdoor activities – from gardening to hiking, biking, kayaking, and just sitting by water and watching the waves roll by. Melissa is the wife of Mary Kay Smith (a local business owner) and a mother of 3.